I 12B -- T Michigan Daily Weeken#Magaime - Thursday, NAmber 20, 1997 l +0 4 The Michigan Daleekentd Maga Books Feature YivIAuster s memoir chronicles writing career University housing makes appealing home By Marc Parry For the Daily "In my late 20s and early 30s, I went through a period of several years when everything I touched turned to failure." So begins "Hand to Mouth: A Chronicle of Early Failure" Paul Auster's newly published memoir. As a novelist, poet, critic and transla- tor, Auster is a man of letters par excel- lence. Moviegoers have also encoun- tered his work; he wrote the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film "Smoke," and co-directed its companion film, "Blue in the Face" With "Hand to Mouth," Auster has written about his career realistically; this memoir should be required reading for anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps. It is an autobiographical essay about the period before he found success - the 15 years when he was broke, dreaming of slipping a volume between Jane Austen's and Julian Barnes' at the local Borders. Novelist Paul Auster describes his writing career In "Hand to Mouth." Auster graduated from Columbia University in 1969 with one ambition - to write. But he stubbornly shunned the "double life" of the average writer, punching in at a 9-to-5 job and cram- ming whatever writing he could into the rest of the day. "I wanted to go out into the world and test myself, to move from this to that, to explore as much as I could." Explore he did. Auster threw himself into a myriad ofjobs on both sides of the Atlantic. First, he signed on as a "utility- man" ("a combination ofjanitor, garbage collector, and chambermaid") on an oil tanker. The months Auster spent at sea secured him enough cash to move to Paris, where he did everything from translating obscure poetry and art books to working the nighttime switchboard at the Paris bureau of The New York Times. And this is hardly a thorough list. But for all of its richness, eccentric characters and strange stories, "Hand to Mouth" essentially serves as a prologue to Auster's fiction. The memoir sketch- es his struggles through doubt, failure and frustration, but in doing so, essen- tially sets the stage for his novels. It is a book for the die-hard fan, who, after reading Auster's novels, seeks to learn something about the life that gen- erated his work- like buying "Coda" after wearing out all the old Zeppelin albums. But, it leaves off when things really get interesting. Auster whets our appetite only to stop abruptly in 1980, before the first of hishnovels was published. Readers finish the memoir wondering, "OK, so then what?" Still, "Hand to Mouth" does excite readers' curiosity about Auster's novels, and it's often fascinating to learn about the private lives of favorite authors. Those who are new to Auster's work, and those who have enjoyed it for years, will find something to interest them in "Hand to Mouth.' Fundraising Publicity Swat scded4e leadership development Are these things your student organization is trying to accomplish? Get advice and help from the office of Student Activities & Leadership. We offer walk-in advising during these convenient hours: Walk-in Advising Hours Monday: 1-4 pm Tuesday: 4-8 pm Wed: am-12pm Thursday: 1-4 pm Friday: ,1-4 pm ( 28 HRS OF ALL-YOU-CAN DRINK IN CANCUN AND NEGRIL Packaes also available to: NASSAU, BAHAMAS FT. LAUDERDALE, FL S. PADRE ISLAND, TX TRAVEL FREE-CALL Island~ FOR DETAILS - 19 800-657-40481 Division of Student Affairs By Caryn Burtt Daily Arts Writer With all the talk this year about over- crowding, student housing has become a touchy subject. But, despite the horror stories of overflow triples and converted lounges, something can still be said for residence halls. Ninety-four percent of University first-year students live in residence halls, which is an unusually high per- centage among colleges, said Alan Levy, director of Housing Public Affairs. It is especially rare at a school that does not require residence in uni- versity-sponsored housing. "It's the easiest way to go' said LSA first-year student Erin Muladore. "If you don't know anything about Ann Arbor, it would be hard to figure out a living situation" While some first-year students might look at living in a residence hall as a stage through which they'll just have to suffer, others see benefits in University housing. "East Quad is really friendly" said Goodhart. "It has a homey, comfortable environment:' Certain residence halls do provide a less-threatening atmosphere for University newcomers. According to the University housing homepage (http://www.housing.umich.edu/), resi- dence halls such as Mary Markley, Alice Lloyd and Couzens house mostly first-year students, and also offer liv- ing-learning communities. Programs such as the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program (formerly the Pilot Program) and the Women in Science and Engineering program, recently relo- cated from Couzens to Mosher-Jordan, offer students the opportunity to live and learn within their residence hall. The Lloyd Scholars homepage (http://wwwlsa.umich.edu/lhsp/info/mi ssion.html/) reads: "The living-learning community offers opportunities for self-discovery ... to make their transi- tion to college both broadly challenging and personally smooth." "I've met a ton of friends, and I real- ly like all of the people I live with," said Kim Henlotter, an LSA first-year stu- dent and Lloyd Hall Scholar. "We have a really good community here and lots of in-house programs," said Susan Reimann, CORE secretary at Lloyd. "We have 10 more resident University Living by the Numbers 94 percent of University first-year students live in residence halls * Sophomores constitute 27 per- cent of residence hall population l12 percent of juniors and 8 percent of senhors live In residence halls : in 1997, the reapplication rate for residents in West and South Quad was 35 percent 330percent of those living in Brstey r eapled 35 percent of Mary Markley resi- dents reapply to remain in this ill hail 175 students hIve In Oxford HousingO soN' staff per capita than any other dorm. Lloyd is educational and social." Living-learning communities are usually not magnets for first-year stu- dents. Convenience seems to be the largest force in drawing students to the residence halls. "Dorm living is a prerequisite to col- lege life," said Emilie Goodhart, an RC first-year student and East Quad resi- dent. "It's too hard to get an apartment right away." Location is also a factor in students' choice of residence halls. In the hearts of many first-year students, Central Campus residence halls triumph in the name of convenience. Muladore, now a Betsy Barbour resi- dent, transferred from Markley in order to be closer to the heart of campus. "I put my name on three different waitlists" Muladore said. "You can't get any closer to everything than Barbour." Victoria Huang, an LSA first-year stu- dent and South Quad resident, agrees that residence-hall living in general is the best option for first-year students. "South Quad has a better location," Huang said. "And my friends are just down the hall." "But I won't be living here next year," he said. Up until about three years ago, a sub- stantial amount of students would have shared Huang's sentiment. According to Levy, the rate of residence hall reappli- cation was as high as 35 percent in South Quad and West Quad last year, with Bursley also reclaiming a good portion (30 percent) of its students. South Quad and West Quad tend to get the most returning students because of the varying ages of residents in those residence halls, as compared to a most- ly first-year-student residence hall like Markley, which has about a 5 percent reapplication rate. Overall, sopho- mores make up about 27 percent of the total residence hall population. "I lived in South (Quad) last year. You're not secluded here, and I've met so many more people," said Natalie Sloan, an LSA sophomore and South Quad res- ident. "There are more upperclassmen here than in a dorm like Markley." Celia Chen, an Engineering sopho- more, lived in Markley as a first-year student, but reapplied to another Hill area dorm, Mosher-Jordan. "I like the Hill area a lot," Chen said. "I like Palmer Field and the CCRB. I like being around upperclassmen. Even though there is about 60 percent fresh- men this year, it's nothing compared to Markley." Central Campus and the Hill area are not the only areas in demand. "The numbers of students requesting North Campus are growing," said Levy. "The return rate to Bursley is significant, EMILY NA Engineering sophomore Alice Miller chills In her popason chair In East Quad. API even more so than any other bu Bursley provides a positive comm Sophomores are not alone in for the convenience of University ing. About 12 percent of the junic and 8 percent of seniors live in res halls, Levy said. Kourtney Rice, an LSA junio her third year living in Stockwell "You don't have to cook or pay Rice said. "And Stockwell is one nicer dorms on campus. It's hom Greg Martin, an LSA junior, h opted to live in residence halls th out his college career, but for s UNIVERSITY SECI YOUR GL Author: Make the most of your student organization and come see us in room 2209 Michigan Union. Questions? Call 763-5900 or email salead@umich.edu. . 1r. "mm 'ml #1 - W ~ ; .:. !i C - SAY kies by Desi n "the sweetest /bouquet fitished 995-1634 2026 W. Stadium (across from Post Office) Ann Arbor IT WITH COOKIES' Holiday bouquets and gourmet cookies Personal messages written on cookies Delivery anywhere in the USA Corporate accounts available Credit Cards accepted GOURMET I COOKIE ; On your next visit Bring in this CouponY Expires121/97 t b05 E.V 669-b I X-LARGE 18 INCH PIO 1"|a (exdus d den, feaa,& ricaka .e nsdwis"'avny 1. d L Image= w~a MO 1 i! OF __ .. .._. - - - - - - -- -- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ---- r r